Later that day, Cahara wandered around Rodziwill Island, beaming with happiness. Hours later, he returned home.
"Hello, I'm home! Guess who got accepted into the Twins Magic Academy for only 4 Mana crystals?"
Cahara spoke cheerfully — until he looked around the house. Cicilia was sewing... the air? From Sophia's room came the sound of crying. Emma hid her face behind a book she was pretending to read. Henry and William simply sat on the couch, drinking alcohol. Julia, though, sat in a chair, staring at nothing with dead eyes, as if her life were already over.
"Heh... Guess the champ is back. We're proud of you. Don't let our looks discourage you."
Cahara's father, Henryk, said this with a smile that didn't reach his sad eyes.
Damn... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll miss them. I'll miss them a lot.
"Henryk, what the fuck do you mean? He's going to a magic academy! You already told me how those 'academies' work! Didn't you see those acolytes? Some were missing limbs, others were disfigured, and some weren't even human anymore! And worst of all, they all wore collars like slaves!"
And? Everyone's a slave to something. At least be a slave with power — maybe you can escape with some extra.
Cicilia threw her sewing kit to the ground in anger. William nodded slowly in agreement, then took another drink.
"We've already talked about this, Cici—"
Cicilia cut him off. "And we didn't reach a conclusion! You just said 'the argument is over'! What kind of conclusion is that?!"
Damn, Father has balls of steel. I thought he'd chicken out.
"Nah, let the 'champ' go to the magic academy. He'll become some sadistic mage's experiment and die like the rest of them."
Thanks for the advice, I guess.
Emma's voice dripped with sarcastic sadness. Droplets of water hit the table from behind her book — she was obviously crying, even though the book hid her face. The arguing continued.
Alright, I can't take this. If I were my past self in my late teens, I'd shout my lungs out. But the current me? Nah. Running away isn't just the easiest thing — it's the most logical.
Cahara slowly and silently opened the door and slipped out. He returned to the harbor and stared at the cog.
Now that I think about it... they're not really my family. They're the family of this body's owner. I just... killed him when he was a fetus and took over his body. Yet I still feel bad. Damn my monkey brain...
A tear escaped from Cahara's left eye as he smiled.
"What are you thinking about, little brother?"
Cahara looked back and saw William.
"Huh. Come to lecture me about how stupid I am for going to a magic academy?"
"No. You're way past that. I'm just here to tell you, Cahara — no matter what happens, you can always come back. Sure, we bicker sometimes, and you're jealous of my looks, but in the end, we're brothers."
"Tch... Smug asshole. I'll miss arguing with you."
They hugged formally at first, then gripped each other tighter and started crying.
Fuck... I knew it would hurt, but why does it hurt this much?
"Will... can we... walk around the island?"
William smiled with puffy, red eyes. "Sure."
---
Hours later, they returned home. What they saw surprised them. All the family members — Cicilia, Emma, Sophia, Julia, and Henryk — were sitting at the kitchen table. On the table sat a stuffed turkey. Cahara and William's eyes widened.
Huh... Guess they finally accepted that I'm leaving.
"Hey there, champ. Since tonight's special, we thought we should have something special. Your mother worked hard on it. Let's enjoy it."
William and Cahara sat in their usual chairs. At first, no one spoke. Then—
"Hey Cahara, pass the turkey sauce."
"Huh? Sure. Here you go, Soph."
"So, anything interesting happen at work, dear?"
"Haha... No. Nothing interesting on this island is a good thing in my book, Cici."
Slowly, they opened up. They talked, laughed, joked — they were a family. Hours later, it was time for Cahara to leave. Everyone helped him pack. They walked to the cog. There, four other teenagers stood with their families.
"So... this is it, champ."
His father, Henryk, hugged him and then started crying.
"H-hey... just remember... be yourself, no matter what. I used to fear that you being yourself would bring you ruin, Cahara. But now that I'm an old fart, I realize that living without being yourself is the worst thing a man can do. Maybe you really are wiser than me."
So this is what they call character development, huh...
They all shared a family hug.
"Hey, I know you're all having a very important family moment, but we leave in half an hour."
An old, hunched man in a black robe said this.
Tch. Couldn't you wait a few minutes, you old fuck?
"Uh, sure, sir mage."
Cahara broke the hug. "Alright... time for me to go. I love you all."
He walked up the plank. Half an hour later, they pulled up the plank and set off. As the ship moved away, the other families waved goodbye.
"Lily, don't fall for every man you see!"
"Jackson, you don't need to make us proud — we're already proud of you, boy!"
"Cahara, make sure you eat your vegetables!"
"..."
Huh... Guess some things never change. Like my mom telling a near-adult man to eat his vegetables...
Cahara went below deck and entered the ship's cabin. He looked curiously at the blank paper he'd been given. He approached a woman in a black robe.
"Excuse me, miss. I saw the man in the gray robe write on this, but I can't see anything."
"This is a test."
"A test?" Cahara raised his eyebrows.
"Yes. You need to concentrate your mana on the blank paper. Then you'll see which cabin you belong to. Sounds simple..."
But it really isn't, is it, you bitch?
He didn't dare say that aloud.
"Three questions. First, how do I do that? Second, what if I fail? Third, what happens if I finish first?"
"First, you meditate until you sense mana. Then you make the paper feel like an extension of your body. Then you push your mana into it. If you fail, you sleep on the floor. And no, there's no reward."
Tch. I already know how to sense mana from my days in the chaotic realm. But 'feel like the paper is an extension of me'? What? Alright... that'll take some time...